In the sandy deserts of northern Africa lives a miniature fennecus fox (Fennecus zerda). The weight of the animal is quite small – about 1.5 kg, the animal is not tall either. But what attracts attention to this chanterelle is its ears. Taking up almost one third of the size of the animal’s body, they are great at picking up even the slightest rustle. It is thanks to its ears that the fennec hunts very successfully in the dark.

The fennec fox has a very modest size, this fox is the smallest representative of its family. Its body length does not exceed 35 cm, and males are usually even smaller – up to 30 cm, about the same size and tail of the animal – 25-30 cm. The height at the withers is 18-22 cm, which is less than that of an ordinary domestic cat. The ears of the desert fox fenek look disproportionate to the body and are 15 cm long.

The muzzle is pointed, which is typical of all foxes, but shorter. The eyes of the Fenek are large and expressive and stand out well on the head. The ears are large not only to catch sounds, but also to cool the body of the animal in the heat of the day. This is due to the small blood vessels, which are very close to the surface of the inside of the ears. Despite the fact that the fenek is a predator, its teeth are small in size. The small fangs are especially unusual.

The paws of the animals are adapted to the desert conditions. The feet are strongly pubescent, and this helps the desert fenek fox to move without problems during the day on the hot sand. In general, the fur of this small predator is soft and thick. The coloring helps camouflage: the top of the animals is light red or pale, the color of the sand, and the abdominal fur is colored white. There is a tuft of black hair at the tip of the tail. The fennel fox, whose fur has not yet changed to that of an adult, is almost entirely white.

In nature, animals live not so little – about 15 years. But in captivity this period may be prolonged by 3-4 years more, due to comfortable conditions and abundance of food.

The range of the desert fenek fox is not so large compared to other foxes living almost on all continents. The largest populations of these animals are found in the Sahara Desert, from Morocco to Niger and Chad.

Unlike most fox species, the Feneks are used to living in small groups, although they still hunt singly. In desert areas, they look for areas with dense grass or bushes to build their burrows hidden from prying eyes. In the absence of such an area, they also settle on the open ground, making long and intricate underground passages.

In case of sudden danger, desert foxes can also hide in someone else’s suitable burrow. Such hiding places are plentiful on their territory, so feneks rarely become prey for larger predators.

Under natural conditions, these chanterelles have no trouble finding food. And this is not by chance, because despite their predator group, the Cheneboks do not disdain other foods. Besides small rodents, chicks, lizards and some insects, desert feneks eat berries and plants, which can be found in arid regions.

Feneks lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle, only escaping from their dens during the day if absolutely necessary. Little foxes are very sociable creatures and easily live near their own kind. The “family” usually consists of about 10 individuals: an adult pair, their offspring, and several foxes of the previous litter. They actively communicate with each other not only with the help of body language, but also make numerous sounds – barking, howling, grunting, etc.

The fennec fox gets its food from the sand or the ground. Fortunately, they have paws adapted for this – though small, but with a developed musculature. As chanterelles are nocturnal animals, they have eyesight adapted to see in the dark.

Life in arid regions has forced the fenecks to get used to it – they can do without water altogether for a long time, extracting moisture from meat, fruits, and leaves.

Fenek as a pet
Nowadays, exotic animals at home are very fashionable. However, the domestic fenek fox is not a case where there are no problems with keeping an animal at home. Future owners should remember that these foxes lead a nocturnal lifestyle, so sleeping with a fennec under the side will be problematic. In addition, foxes themselves have a pungent smell, and if they are not accustomed to the litter box (which is quite difficult), then the house will constantly stand unpleasant smell. In order to keep the fox fennec from causing a lot of trouble, it is necessary to engage in training with it, as with a dog. But foxes are wild animals, and it takes an extremely long time to learn even the simplest commands.